Kohala Lighthouse Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s chew the fat on what’s comin’ for this stretch of coast. Gotta be straight with you: the next 16 days look like a fight to find anything clean. The wind is the main villain here, blowin’ cross or cross-onshore and choppin’ everything up. We’re in for a long, frustrating stretch.

The only break on the radar is Kohala Lighthouse, a reef setup that needs a north direction to really light up, but we’re stuck with a steady ENE flow. The first real chance at anything comes Friday the 4th, but it’s still a battle. The swell is there – a solid 8 ft to 8 ft from the ENE, with a long period of 14 seconds, which is proper groundswell. The energy is strong, hittin’ 1929 (Friday morning) and 2193 (Friday afternoon). But the wind is a fresh cross-shore, and it’s lumpy, givin’ it a score of just 1 out of 10. That long period stuff at a reef can be tidy, but with that wind, it’s goin’ to be a mess. Not a standout, but it’s the first thing that’s even close to rideable.

The whole first week is a write-off, really. Tuesday the 1st through Thursday the 3rd is all poor surf, with cross-shore winds blowin’ 18 to 25 mph. The swell is around 6 ft to 8 ft, mostly short period (7-8 seconds), which is weak, choppy junk. The water temp is 81°, which is about average for the time of year, nothin’ special.

Moving into the second week, Saturday the 5th and Sunday the 6th offer a bit more swell, but the wind is still cross or cross-on, keepin’ the quality marginal at best. The best lookin’ window, if you’re desperate, is around the 11th and 12th of September. On Friday the 11th, the swell jumps up to 10 ft to 12 ft from the east, with a moderate breeze and a cross-chop. That’s a big, powerful swell (energy at 1488 on Friday afternoon), but it’s big enough to be expert-only, over 8 ft. The 12th brings a 13 ft swell from the E, with a 10-second period, energy at 2961. That’s a lot of water movin’, but still with a cross-shore wind. For a reef, that’s a heavy, dangerous day. Not for the faint of heart.

After that, the surf drops off a cliff. From Sunday the 13th onward, we’re lookin’ at tiny waves – 1.0 ft to 3 ft – with weak energy in the double digits, and the wind is still nasty. A total flat spell for the rest of the 16 days.

So, the honest truth? There’s no standout day. The best of a bad bunch is probably Friday the 11th, if you’re an expert and don’t mind lumpy, cross-shore conditions on a big, powerful 10 ft to 12 ft east swell. It’s the biggest energy of the run, but the quality is poor. For everyone else, you’re better off waitin’ for the next forecast. The entire run is a struggle.

Keep your head up, though. Forecasts change.

Rusty

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